Impulse-transmitter



J. C. FIELD.

IMPULSE TRANSMITTER. APPLICATION FYTLED MAY 10, I9I6.

1,306,054. Patented June 10, 1919.

//7 i/e/vfon Joseph C F/e/d.

' cam serves to JOSEPH C. FIELD, OF ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO WESTERN ELECTRIC COMPANY, INCORPORATED, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

IMPULSE-TRANSMITTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 10, 1919.

Application filed May 10, 1916. Serial No. 96,503.

impulses sent over the line to close a signaling circuit at that station, the number of impulses for calling the stations being dilferent for each particular selector.

This invention has for its object the provision of an impulse transmitter which will be compact, sure and quiet in its operation, easily manufactured and one which can be easily and speedily adjusted to transmit the proper combination of impulses for calling any particular station on the line. v

The impulse transmitter to which this invention relates comprises, in general, a clock-work mechanism in which energy is stored up by the turning of a handle which winds a spring. When the handle is released, the spring revolves a shaft upon which is mounted a toothed wheel, adapted to operate contact springs to make and break a circuit. Two adjustable cam members are provided for covering up certain of the teeth to permit of the transmitting of any desired combination of impulses. These cam members, and the other operating parts of the impulse transmitter, are so related that one hold the contact springs engaged, and the other to hold the contact springs disengaged fordefinite periods of time.

In the drawings illustrating this invention, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the impulse transmitter; I

Fig. 2 is a view of the back end of the impulse transmitter; 1

Figs. 8, 4; and 5 show the toothed wheel, cam members and contact springs in normal position, the cam members being setin different positions to give different combinations of eifective teeth; and Y a Figs. 6, 7 and 8 are detail views illustrating thedifl'erent positions assumed by the contact'springs in the rotation of the toothed wheel.

Referring to the drawings, 5 and 6 designate frame plate members secured together by rods 7, 8 and 9. Supported in these frame plates Sand 6 are shafts 10 and 11, the shaft 10 constituting,,a driving and the shaft 11 the driven shafts of the mechanism. Loosely mounted upon the shaft 10 is a gear wheel 14, adapted to be driven by a spiral spring 15 on said shaft. Gear wheel 14 meshes with a pinion 16 on the shaft 11, which pinion is secured to a gear wheel 17 also on the shaft 11, gear wheel 17 being in mesh with a pinion 18, loosely mounted upon the shaft 10 and secured to a gear wheel 19. The gear wheel 19, in turn, meshes with a pinion 20, loosely mounted upon the shaft 11 and secured to a gear wheel 21. The gear wheel 21 meshes with a worm on a governor shaft 22, which is arranged at right angles to the shafts 10 and 11, and supported between arms 23, 23, formed integrally with the plate 6. The governor consists of two weighted spring arms 24 and 25, which, as the governor shaft 22 is rotated, are caused to throw the weights outwardly against the inner face of a metal drum 26, the friction of the weights and drum tending to retard the movement of the rotating parts and keep them at a constant speed,

The transmitting device of this invention is designed particularly for use in connection with circuits and apparatus similar to that shown in my copending application, Serial No. 98,384, filed May-16, 1916. In this application'there is disclosed a system in which selectively-operated circuit-closing devices are adapted to be conditioned for operation in response to a combination of alternating current impulses of long and short duration, the impulses of short duration being adapted to advance a stepbystep element, while the impulses of longer duration serve to hold the step'by-step element in an advanced position, or cause its release, as the case may be. A pole-changing relay is provided which is controlled through contact springs on the impulse transmitter to connect current of one polarity or the other with the line circuit. When the contact springs are in engagement with each other, current of one polarity is maintained on the line, and when with each other and the impulse wheel is rotating, current of the opposite polarity is maintained on the line. I I

The specific arrangement of parts whereby the circuits are controlled to cause'impulses to be sent out on the line is as follows Mounted upon the inner end ofthesha ft" 11 beyond the frame plate 6 is a wheel'or' disk 30,hav-ing formed on the larger portion of its periphery, a pluralityofteeth 31, 31, which are adapted to cobperate with spring contacts 32 and 33 to alternately make and break a circuit including these contacts. As shown, the wheel 30 is provided witha cutaway-portion 34, in which the free end of spring 32,-is'norma'lly positionedout of engagement with thewheel 30. Contact spring .32 is in-electrical contact with the wheel 30 during the entire'time this wheel is making a complete revolution.- The wheel '30 is also provided with portions 35 and 36 which are free from teeth, their radii being the same as the radiusof the wheel 30 at the base of the teeth 31, 31. When contact 32-is-inen'gagementwiththe portion 35, a-circuitis-closed for sending over the line along impulse of current to insure the return to normal position of-all selectors on the-line before the stepping operation begins. When contact 32 engages the portion 36, a long impulse is sent over the line-to return to norm'al'position the selector at thecalled station. The

' portion-137 provided" on wheel 30, which-has the same radiusas the outer face of the teeth 31, 31, controls the duration of the operation of the signaling device at the selected station. As the spring contact 32 rides on top of a tooth, a short'impu-lse of one polarity is sent over the line,- and when the spring-contact 32 is between two teeth, a

short impulse of the opposite polarity is sent over the line, as set'forth in;the h,ereinbefore noted co-pending application; The number of effective teeth which pass under contact spring 32 is determined by means of adjustable plates or cam members 38 and 39,pivo't ally'inou'nted'upon the end of 'sliaft'll in juxtaposition to the toothed wheel .30, each cam-member being-provided with an arcuated slot 40, concentric withthefshaft'll. A screw 41, passing through the slotsintothe face of the'toothed wheel, is adapted-to secure the cam members 38 and 39 in any adjusted position. The periphery of each cam member preferably extends slightly beyond the outer faces of the teeth 31,31. Thebody of cam member 38 is substantially parallel to wheel 30, as shownin Fig.1, and the p'eriphery thereof is adapted, in-the rotation of the wheel 30, to engage the free end of contact spring 32 to raise said spring,and maintain it in engagement with contact spring 33 for -a considerable length of time as compared ,withtheengagement of these contact springscaused by a singletooth (seeFig. 8*)

The cam member 39 is formed so that the of t m S ig- -upon a su -ery thereof 'is' adapted,' 'in'-th'e rotaticnef the wheel 30, to engage an insulating" roller 45, mounted in a projection 46 on thefr'ee end of fl'contact spring 33 to raise this contact spring "33, and maintain it out of engagement with contact s ring 32 for aconsiderablelength F It will be noted that the periphery of cam member 38 does not engage the insulating roller 45, and that the peripheryof cammem'ber 39 does not engage the; end of-contact spring 32. y The toothed wheel 30 is adapted to make one complete revolution each time a call is made, and in this connection is provided on one'fface with a projecting stop -lug 50, adapted to engage'a movable. stop lug 51, carried lay-the shaft 10. In the operation of these particularparts, the shaft '10 is turned by a-handle52until the stop lug 5 1 comes into contact with a stop pin 5 3, proj'ecti'ng from the-frame plate 6. When-thehandle is -released,-the twoshafts lOand 11 travel at such -relativ'e speed that thewheel 30-is caused to -make a completerevolution' while the stop -lug .51 is moving back intopos-ition to engage step pin on -said wheel. The shaft '10 projects -through a mountingplate 554 so that thehandle 52, thereon, -m-ay; be easily =mani-pul'ated from thefront 0f the transmitter. is i r a Thecontact *springs32 and 33 are mounted pporting lugformed integrally with the frame plate 6, the contact. springs being insulated from each other-and the segment carried by said wheel and engaging said insulated roller during a portion of the travel I of said 'Wheel for inaintainingsaid contact springs out of engagement. -,-2."Ina n lmpulse transmltter, a rotatable toothed-wheel, a contact spring normally.

insulated from said wheel while said wheel isat rest but in electrical contact therewith during a complete revolution thereof, a second contact springwith which the' firstcons tact spring'is' brought into and out'of engagement by theteeth on said wheelfand cam segments carried by said wheel for maintaining the contact spring gs' in. engagement during'a portionof the travelof said wheel and formainta-in-in'g the contact sprin gs' out brought into and out of engagement of engagement during another portion of the travel of said wheel.

8. In an impulse transmitter, a rotatable toothed wheel, a contact spring normally insulated from said wheel while at rest and in electrical contact therewith during a complete revolution thereof, a second contact spring with which the first contact spring is by the teeth of said wheel, an insulated roller carried by the second contact spring, a cam seg- Gopies of this ment carried by said wheel for maintaining the contact springs in engagement during a portion of the travel of said Wheel, and another cam segmentcarried by said wheel and engaging said insulated roller during a portion of the travel of said wheel for maintaining said contact springs out of engagement. In Witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my name this 9th day of May, A. D. 1916.

JOSEPH C. FIELD.

by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0. 

